Abstract
Objective:
Almost all depressed patients complain about daily fatigue or loss of energy. In such depressed adolescents, daytime sedation is an important problem therefore the choice of nonsedating antidepressants should be considered in these adolescents’ treatment. The aim of the study was to evaluate retrospectively the clinical effectiveness of fluoxetine on the depression-related energy disturbances in adolescent outpatients.
Method:
Forty-nine depressed adolescents aged 13-18 years were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), HAM-D Retardation factor, Clinical Global Impression of Severity Illness Scale (GCI-S), the Patient Global Impression of Severity Scale (PGI-S), Visual Analogue Scale for energy and the Energy and Fatigue facet. The patients were evaluated at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment.
Results:
HAM-D total scores decreasedfrom a baseline of23.05±5.43 to 8.82±5.87 (mean±SD) after 12 weeks of treatment. HAM-D Retardation factor scores decreased progressively from a baseline mean rank of 3.86 to 1.37 at the final visit. Similarly, the Visual analogue scale and the Energy and fatigue facet scores increased significantly by week 12, from a mean rank of 2.09 at baseline up to 6.9 and from 2.33 at baseline up to 6.22 at the final visit, respectively. After controlling for initial severity of depression in our logistic regressions, meeting criteria for remission at the final visit (HAM-D <8) was significantly related to an early change in the HAM-D Retardation factor item of Work and Activities symptoms.
Discussion:
Results from this naturalistic and retrospective study indicated that fluoxetine- treated adolescent outpatients experienced a significant improvement in symptoms of fatigue and loss of energy as well as their overall depression.
Keywords: Antidepressants, fluoxetine, loss of energy, fatigue, major depression, adolescence
